The duke and his son are in the ice-cold chamber when the doctor arrives. The duke tells his son that the doctor is about to arrive, and that the duke has prepared a special cream soup for the boy. He tells the boy that he must be starving, and the boy agrees to eat. He asks the duke to send the soup to the duke, but the duke refuses, saying that he will not eat until the boy has had a chance to have a taste of it. The king asks the boy to come with him to the secret chamber so that he can see how beautiful his mother looks when she is asleep. The boy agrees, but he must decide whether the duke lives or dies.